Cognitive Processes in Writing

Originally published in 1980, this title began as a set of questions posed by faculty on the campus of Carnegie-Mellon University: What do we know about how people write? What do we need to know to help people write better? This resulted in an interdisciplinary symposium on "Cognitive Processes in Writing" and subsequently this book, which includes the papers from the symposium as well as further contributions from several of the attendees. It presents a good picture of what research had shown about how people write, of what people were trying to find out at the time and what needed to be done. Preface I THEORETICAL APPROACHES 1. "Identifying the Organization of Writing Processes", John R. Hayes and Linda S. Flower - What Is a Protocol? - Verbal Protocols - An Example of Protocol Analysis - Protocol Analysis-More Generally Considered - Analysis of a Writing Protocol - The Task Environment - The Writer's Long-Term Memory - The Writing Process - Testing the Model - Protocol Sections - Hypothesis 1: The Form of the Written Materials - Hypothesis 2: Classifying "Content" Statements - Hypothesis 3: Measuring Retrieval Chains - Conclusions 2. "The Dynamics of Composing: Making Plans and Juggling Constraints", Linda S. Flower and John R. Hayes - Constraints on Composing - Juggling Constraints 3. "A Framework for a Cognitive Theory of Writing", Allan Collins and Dedre Gentner - Introduction - Idea Production - Text Production - What Makes Writing Difficult to Learn - A Computer-Based "Writing Land" - Conclusion 4. "Development in Writing", Carl Bereiter - What Is Development in Writing? - Writing as a Cognitive Process - Information-Processing Load in Writing - Possible Stages in Writing Development - Writing Development and Schooling - Indications for Research II WRITING RESEARCH AND APPLICATION 5. "Experiments on Composing Letters: Some Facts, Some Myths, and Some Observations", John D. Gould - Summary of Experimental Studies - Some Theoretical Thoughts About Composition 6. "Specific Thoughts on the Writing Process", P. C. Wason 7. "Teaching Writing by Teaching the Process of Discovery: An Interdisciplinary Enterprise", Lee Odell - The Composing Process: An Introspective View - The Process of Discovery - Teaching the Process of Discovery - Conclusion 8. "A Garden of Opportunities and a Thicket of Dangers", Erwin R. Steinberg - Our Inheritance - The Current Models As a Beginning - Dangers of Uncritical Acceptance - Needed Research Beyond the Basic Models III. Author Index IV. Subject Index Originally published in 1980, this title began as a set of questions, the answers were mostly given at an interdisciplinary symposium and resulted in this book. It presents a good picture of what research had shown about how people write, of what people were trying to find out at the time and what needed to be done.